August 25, 2005 - Russian and German archaeologists (Don Archaeologist Society and Deutsches Archäologisches Institut) are looking for traces of an ancient settlement that existed in the territory of the city of Taganrog. This is the second expedition within the framework of this project. Last summer, the scientists tried to reveal the hidden secrets of our city and made excavations in downtown Taganrog near the old Stone Stairs (1823). The explorers made several three to seven meters deep boreholes that proved to be interesting in terms of further efforts. The works that were started on August 15 and will continue until the mid-September are aimed at gathering information as to where exactly and when our ancestors lived here.

At this point Dr. Ortwin Dally and his colleagues from Rostov and Germany may be making predictions. One of these is that the settlement is probably one of the three oldest Ancient Greek colonies to the North of the Black Sea area (the other two are in the territories of present-day Romania and Ukraine). The approximate date of its foundation may be 7th century BC. Another, a less optimistic prediction was abandoned during the previous expedition. There was a concern that the findings discovered on the coast might be remains of a cargo ship that sunk in the waters of Azov Sea, which the Ancient Greeks referred to as "Palus Meotides" or "Palus Maeotis".

If the theory that there was an ancient town or settlement on the place of the modern-day Taganrog proves to be right, the scientists of both countries will reunite their efforts in the future and continue the excavations underwater alongside the Pushkin Quay.